The Five Scarves - Scarves Assemble Part 4
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 1 of 3, Part 4 of 5) Promising young Scarves Hanna Skarlett and Rob Stiil have racked up an admirable run of success on joint missions. Recently however, that run has seen a series of uncharacteristic failures, and the tension between the two friends is building towards flashpoint. Will they be able to resolve their differences before their friendship collapses completely?
1. Chapter 1

[3.5 years before the Brevon Incident]

Deep within Scarves HQ, an olive-furred lynx skips towards the main courtyard while singing a cheerful ditty slightly out of tune. As she enters the courtyard, she's spotted by an ochre badger.

"Hey Maria!" the badger calls.

Maria stops singing and turns to the voice, smiling when she sees the familiar face of Danny Brock. "Hey blondie!" she calls back in return, turning and skipping to her friend.

Danny shakes his head in amusement. "Must you insist on calling me that?" he asks as he joins Maria on a nearby bench.

"Why not?" Maria grins. "Hanna's 'meanie', Rob's 'fluff-tail', and you're 'blondie'."

"I thought Rob was 'big-ears'?" Danny asks.

"I changed my mind," Maria replies. "'Big-ears' is mean and icky. Plus, mine are bigger. Also, 'Fluff-tail' is cute and… well, fluffy."

"Fair enough," Danny smiles. "How do you think their mission's gone?" he asks a moment later.

Maria sighs. "I don't know why they keep choosing to work together," she answers. "They're on a worrying run of failure."

"I know," Danny sighs in return. "I can't even _begin_ to understand what's going on, especially as they used to work together so well before."

"Something's changed," Maria concludes. "And I don't want to admit it, but…"

"You can tell me."

Maria takes a deep breath. "I'm scared it'll tear our little team into itty bitty pieces."

"That won't happen," Danny assures.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I'm Rob's best friend, and you're Hanna's best friend, and we'll be able to convince them both to take a break from working together until whatever tension that exists between them is resolved," Danny explains.

"Tension?" Maria asks, confused.

"There's something they're holding back. Or at least, one of them is," Danny continues. "And the longer they hold it back, the worse it'll get, until something gives way."

"I pray to the Ancients it doesn't get that bad," Maria sighs. "Hanna's really scary when she's angry."

"And she's liable to do something foolish," Danny adds.

Maria stiffens as a thought occurs, sending a wave of fear washing through her. "Do you think she'll be thrown out the Scarves?" she asks nervously.

"I don't think it'll get that bad," Danny answers. "At least, I hope it doesn't."

The two friends sit in silence a few moments.

"I think we're being big sillies, worrying about this," Maria eventually decides. "It'll all work out in the end."

Danny is about to reply, but stops himself when he sees Hanna storming into the courtyard, her tail puffed to its fullest, and wearing an expression of pure thunder. More worryingly, following right behind her is an equally furious Rob.

"Oh, this isn't good," Danny sighs.

"What isn't?" Maria asks. She then notices the incandescent vixen and the volcanic hare. "Oh poo, here we go again…"


	2. Chapter 2

"For the last time, you can't just go barging in!" Rob shouts at Hanna. "We don't learn stealth and finesse only to throw it all away!"

Hanna wheels on Rob, the hare halting as the vixen fixes him with a stare of pure fire. "How _dare_ you tell me how to do my job!" she growls. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be in a gaol cell right now!"

"Don't play that game with me!" Rob growls back. "We wouldn't have been spotted if we'd stuck to the damn plan!"

"It was your 'damn plan' that got us into trouble in the first place!" Hanna counters, extending her claws, ready to fight.

"Well, excuse me for not factoring in the reckless impulsiveness you should have had smashed out of you already!" Rob snaps sarcastically. "And this _cào_ again? We both know you're not going to attack me."

"Wanna bet?" Hanna challenges, grinning malevolently. "I could tear you to shreds without even breaking a sweat!"

Rob snorts derisively. "Typical of the level of 'intelligence' I've come to expect from you."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Hanna growls, her grin twisting into a purposeful snarl.

"The only thing you're good at is fighting," Rob goads. "And that dragon‑girl beats you easily."

"Say that again," Hanna challenges, her eyes burning with fury. "I dare you."

"Rob, shut up and walk away," Danny wills. He and Maria are keeping their distance, ready to act if necessary.

But Rob does not walk away. Instead, he hisses "Sash Lilac. Is better. Than you."

"Big mistake," Maria sighs as she draws her ninjato.

With a bellow of pure rage, Hanna leaps at Rob, aiming for his neck. Rob ducks out of the way and draws his sai to counter-attack, but Hanna is too quick. She deftly blocks Rob's thrusts and plants a knee in Rob's stomach, Rob tensing his abdominals in time to brush off the impact.

The two combatants wheel around each other, trading potentially lethal blows, neither giving any quarter. Within moments, the crowd that had gathered as they argued doubles in size.

"We gotta stop this," Danny decides, drawing his hanbo and charging into the fray with Maria alongside.

A gunshot rings out across the courtyard. The crowd falls silent as Danny and Maria slide to a halt halfway to their duelling friends.

"Cease this asinine display immediately!" Leader Lillith Song bellows as she lowers her pistol, aiming at Hanna and Rob. At the sight of the firearm directed at them, they cease fighting, pushing each other away violently. "Now drop your weapons!" Lillith commands.

Rob throws his sai violently onto the ground, then with a final offensive gesture to Hanna, he turns and storms out of the courtyard in silence.

"Danny, go talk sense into him. Maria, get her out of here and defuse her," Lillith commands. "As for the rest of you," she continues, raising her voice to be heard, "you will leave and return to your duties. If you have none, you will simply leave. Anyone still here in sixty seconds gets four weeks' punishment detail."

Slowly, the crowd thins as the spectators comply with Lillith's order. Danny slips away with the crowd to find Rob as Maria nervously approaches Hanna.

"Hey there," Maria greets quietly, making a show of sheathing her ninjato. "I've been asked to-"

"I heard," Hanna snarls.

"Then go with her," Lillith barks, holstering her pistol.

"What if I don't?" Hanna snaps back.

"You surrender your scarf and leave the guild," Lillith growls. "Permanently."

Hanna fixes Lillith with a defiant stare, but Lillith stands firm. A few moments later, Hanna storms off, Maria in pursuit.

"Thank the Ancients that's over," Lillith sighs as she leaves the courtyard.

* * *

From the shadows, a wyvern watches. _You are treading a very thin line, vixen. So tread carefully: I don't want to have to hurt your friends…_


	3. Chapter 3

Half an hour later, Danny finally catches up with Rob in the dojo, who is venting his frustrations on a punching bag.

"Quite the scene you two performed earlier," Danny comments. "Want to talk about it?"

"What do you think?" Rob snaps back, slamming his fist into the bag with so much force the bag splits.

"I think if you carry on like this, you'll break your hands," Danny observes.

"Why did we ever agree to be friends with that bitch?" Rob barks. "She always takes over every mission we go on! She never listens!" Rob slams his fist into the bag once more. The split widens, and the contents start to spill on the floor.

Danny collects a training hanbo and pair of sai from a nearby weapon rack. "Spar with me," he offers, tossing the sai to Rob, who catches them smoothly. "Unless you'd prefer a month's P.D. for wrecking guild equipment: you're already on thin ice after that brawl in the courtyard."

"Sparring it is then," Rob decides.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you," Danny challenges as he adopts a fighting stance.

"Likewise," Rob returns.

The two friends charge each other and begin to exchange blows.

"Why do you keep choosing to work with her?" Danny asks as the fight settles into a natural rhythm.

" _She's_ the one always choosing to work with _me!_ " Rob corrects.

"Sure she is," Danny teases. "Maybe she fancies you!"

Rob snorts in derision. "I swear she does it just to annoy me. It's like she's never gotten over the fact I can match her in combat!"

"What are you talking about? She's beat you twice as often as you've beat her," Danny corrects. "And-"

"Whatever," Rob growls. "I'm done caring about her. I don't want to hear another word about her."

The two friends spar in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Danny disarms Rob with a well-timed twist of his hanbo, the sai clattering to the floor.

"I win!" Danny declares, panting.

"That was… a pretty neat move," Rob compliments.

"Yeah," Danny agrees. "And it's one… you know how to counter… So why didn't you?"

"I… got distracted," Rob reluctantly admits.

"Distracted? You? You _never_ get distracted."

"I know! It's just… well, you know how pretty she is, and how it's always fun when she's around, and…" Rob lets out a long relenting sigh. "OK, I admit it, I fancy her."

"Seriously?" Danny asks. "Even though she pisses you off so much?"

"I know, I know," Rob replies. "It's just… I dunno."

"What you need to do is forget about her," Danny advises. "You're not even fifteen yet. There's plenty of time to meet someone more suitable."

"I guess you're right," Rob admits. "I'm done with sparring for today. Let's do something else."

"Like what?"

Rob thinks for a moment. "I could do with brushing up on my pyrotechnics."

"Not a bad idea," Danny agrees. "Do some studying in the library, then maybe try some of the stuff out in the blast lab?"

"OK," Rob agrees.

Together, the two friends collect the fallen sai and return them to the weapons rack with the hanbo, then head straight to the Red Scarves library.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, in Maria's quarters, the lynx is offering a sympathetic ear to her best friend's ranting.

"…and to top it all off, _he's_ the one who keeps choosing to work with _me!_ " Hanna barks. "If he finds me so difficult to work with, why does he keep doing it?"

"Maybe he fancies you?" Maria teases.

Hanna snorts in derision. "Don't make me laugh. I'm way out of his league anyway." _What if he really does though?_

"Maybe he's just a big old dumbo," Maria offers.

"The words I'd use are _far_ more colourful than that," Hanna replies. "Why are we talking about him anyway? I couldn't care less about that moron." _Yet I can't stop thinking about him._

"You chose the subject," Maria points out.

"And why didn't you change it?" Hanna snaps back.

"I tried, but you wouldn't have it," Maria informs.

Hanna pauses a moment. "Oh yeah, I did shut you out… sorry."

Maria waves the apology away. "Forget about it. Now sit your silly tail down and let's talk about something more fun."

With a sigh, Hanna slumps onto the foldaway chair beside Maria's. "Like what?"

"Like what we're going to do tonight," Maria answers.

Hanna pauses in thought a moment. "I got no plans. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, we could go duel for a bit, then go grab dinner," Maria suggests. "Then after that, maybe go see a movie or something, or come back here and just hang out."

"You know I can never turn down a duel with you," Hanna smiles. "And we'd work up quite an appetite."

"Can I ask you something?" Maria asks.

"Of course," Hanna assures.

"This may sound silly, but… I think you actually fancy Rob."

"That's not a question."

"But do you?"

"No. Well, sort of. A bit. I mean…" Hanna sighs. "Look, don't tell _anyone_ this, but I'll admit he is pretty cute, and he's funny too, and when he's around, I feel good, and when he isn't, I feel like there's something missing, and crap I do fancy him and have done for months," she finishes, sighing in defeat.

"Then tell him!" Maria encourages.

"After earlier? Not a chance!" Hanna declares with finality.

"Why not?"

"Because… I don't know. All I do know is nothing's going to happen between us. Maybe it's better to find someone else."

"Another boy?" Maria asks.

"Probably," Hanna answers. "Why?"

"Boys are icky silly dumbos," Maria explains. "Girls are pretty and smart and more fun."

"I do look good in a halterneck and capris," Hanna admits. "And the thought of being with another girl is an interesting one, but I think I prefer boys."

"Aw," Maria sighs. "You and m- Lexi would make a cute couple." _Silly kitty, almost saying that!_

 _Did she almost… never mind._ "I'm pretty sure Lexi prefers boys as well," Hanna informs.

"Your choice," Maria shrugs.

"I've had enough of talking about boys and stuff," Hanna decides. "Let's get to the dojo and duel."

"Yay!" Maria chimes, bounding out the door with Hanna following close behind.


	5. Chapter 5

For the next three days, Maria and Danny ensure that Hanna and Rob remain apart from each other. It takes a lot of effort, but they manage it well enough. However, they could not anticipate movements from higher ranks…

* * *

Responding to a summons, Hanna arrives at the sanctum of Leader Tracy Metharom and knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" Tracy calls from within.

"Hanna Skarlett, ma'am, responding to your summons," Hanna replies overly formally.

There's an uncomfortably long pause before Hanna receives a response. Eventually, Tracy calls "Enter."

Hanna opens the door and steps into the sanctum, noticing Rob almost immediately. " _What on Avalice is he doing here?_ " she shrieks.

"Same reason you're here," Tracy answers. "Now shut up and sit."

"I'm not working with him," Hanna spits defiantly.

"If you turn around and leave, you drop your scarf and don't stop until you're outside HQ," Tracy snaps back. "Do I make myself clear?"

Hanna fixes Tracy with a defiant stare. Tracy stares right back, refusing to be intimidated. Eventually, after a few tense moments, Hanna relents. Petulantly, she sits heavily on the sofa Rob isn't using, as far from Tracy as she can, electing to sulk instead of making eye contact.

"I swear, it's like you're six years old, both of you," Tracy growls. "You should both count yourselves _extremely_ lucky you're still wearing those scarves after that moronic display three days ago. Yet here we are, giving you an important mission. Why? No idea. As far as I'm concerned, you're _both_ liabilities. Yet there's no ignoring your previous successes." Tracy pauses for breath. "This mission is your last chance. Succeed, and it'll begin to rebuild the trust and respect both of you used to have. Fail, and… well, let's just say you _don't_ want to fail."

* * *

An hour later, Hanna and Rob sit alone in a small room, the only furnishings being two simple chairs and a table covered with the mission brief and a few supporting documents. Yet the two Scarves pay no attention to the documents, instead simply staring harshly at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"I don't want to work with you, and you don't want to work with me," Rob finally states. "But we have no choice, so let's just get on with it, get the job done, then we can each pretend the other doesn't exist."

"Works for me," Hanna replies flatly.

"Then I will work out a plan," Rob decides, turning to the documents.

"And I'll be there to bail you out when it all goes down the crapper," Hanna retorts.

"Whatever," Rob replies dismissively. "Now let me work."

"If you need me, which you won't, I'll be in the dojo," Hanna informs as she heads to the door, only to be surprised when the door won't open. "What on Avalice?"

"We're locked in here until it's time to leave, remember?" Rob reminds.

Hanna curses violently, then sits heavily back in her seat. "So babe, what am I meant to do?"

"Well, honey, you could always help me with the planning," Rob sighs.

"Fine," Hanna sighs in return. "And don't _ever_ call me 'honey' again," she growls.

"Then don't call me 'babe'."

 _I can't believe I said that._ "I didn't."

"Yes, you did. Now either help me or shut up."

"You're hearing things."

"Moaning and excuses, mainly."

"Whatever. Let's just get this over and done with. What's the plan?"

 _About time._ "It's pretty simple. Here's what we'll do…"


	6. Chapter 6

Shortly before midnight, Hanna and Rob commence their mission. The location: the main warehouse of a mid-size business. Their goal: an incriminating document in the managing director's office.

"Now remember, stick to the plan," Rob whispers as they approach their infiltration point.

"Believe me, I intend to stick to it by the letter," Hanna whispers back. "No way I'm failing this mission."

"Good. Now enough talk: hand signals from now on."

Hanna nods in agreement.

* * *

For the first fifteen minutes, the mission goes smoothly. Both Hanna and Rob stick to the plan, and they arrive at the main offices ahead of schedule. However, they find the patrols are twice what they had been briefed to expect: four guards instead of two.

 _Stealth takedowns,_ Rob signs.

 _Frontal assault,_ Hanna signs back.

 _Assault will fail,_ Rob explains. _Stealth will succeed._

 _I know what I'm doing,_ Hanna objects.

 _Are you sure?_ Rob asks.

Hanna sighs. _Fine. Will try stealth. Will signal when clear._

As Rob nervously watches on, Hanna slips from shadow to shadow, slowly working her way towards the guards. Over the next few minutes, the guards disappear one by one. After the fourth guard is dispatched, Hanna reappears beside the managing director's office door. _All clear,_ she signs.

Rob quickly moves up to join Hanna. "Now, wasn't that easier than just barging in?" he whispers cheekily. "Good job. Now let's get that document and get out of here."

Hanna enters the office with Rob right behind. As she moves towards the safe, Rob puts his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"What now?" Hanna asks impatiently.

"Pressure pad," Rob explains, pointing to the black rubber square in front of the safe. "Fortunately, I have an idea," he adds, making for an unused shelf and a couple of sturdy boxes.

Hanna watches as Rob makes an improvised bench from the shelf and boxes. "What's that for?" she asks. "Ah, to keep my weight off the pressure pad," she answers a second later.

"Exactly," Rob smiles.

Hanna clambers onto the improvised bench. The shelf bows more than expected, but holds firmly enough. Within a minute, Hanna cracks the combination and opens the safe, extracting the sole envelope from within. "Got it!"

"Good. Let's go," Rob replies.

Together, the vixen and hare retrace their steps through the warehouse. However, halfway to their exit, the alarm starts blazing.

Rob curses. "They must have found our entry point!"

"Obviously," Hanna replies. "Time for Plan F."

"Plan F?"

"F for 'Fight', of course!"

"Doesn't look like we have any other choice…"

"Good thing you're with the best!"

"Then you take point."

With a nod, Hanna sets off at top speed, heading straight for the nearest exit, Rob following right behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

With the alarm blazing, Hanna and Rob waste no time in fleeing the warehouse, the one guard who attempts to stop them being swiftly laid out by Hanna. Finding themselves cut off from their bikes by three approaching police cars, they instead make directly for the nearest treeline. As they enter the cover of the trees, Rob checks if they're being followed: the police are giving chase on foot. "Six bogeys on our six!"

"Just keep running!" Hanna barks back. "We can lose 'em! Follow me!"

Rob follows Hanna as she winds a complex route through the trees. A couple of times, he almost misses a turn, but he just about manages to remain on the vixen's tail.

Suddenly, Hanna slides to a halt. "Dead end!"

Rob almost slams into the back of her in his attempt to stop. In desperation, he looks around for an escape route. "In here!" he commands, pulling Hanna into a small cave barely large enough to conceal them both.

"What on-" Hanna starts.

Rob clamps his hand over her mouth, silencing her. "Quiet!" he hisses.

Hanna wrenches Rob's hand away, but remains silent.

The two Scarves freeze as they hear the sound of the approaching police officers, shrinking as much as they can as the cops get closer. For several tense minutes, the cops search the area. Eventually however, they call off the search and retreat.

A few minutes later, Hanna and Rob cautiously emerge from their hiding place.

"I think we're in the clear," Hanna observes.

"Yeah," Rob agrees. "And it's because we worked together, like we used to before. You got the document?"

Hanna pulls the envelope from under her halterneck. "Right here," she confirms, returning it under her top.

"So _that's_ where you hid it," Rob smirks.

"As good a place as any," Hanna smirks back. "One of the benefits of tight clothing."

"Another being you look stunning," Rob thinks out loud.

"You're not bad to look at either," Hanna flirts.

"Did… Did you just _flirt?_ " Rob asks.

"No," Hanna lies. "You're the one who's flirting."

"No I'm not," Rob denies.

Hanna narrows her eyes and folds her arms. "I see what's going on."

"You do?" Rob asks.

"You fancy me," Hanna answers flatly.

"What? That's insane!" Rob denies.

"Don't lie to me," Hanna commands. "Just admit you fancy me. We both know it's true."

Rob makes to object, but he knows there's no point. "OK," he relents. "I admit it, I fancy you."

"How much?" Hanna asks.

Rob hesitates, not expecting that question, and unsure how to answer it.

"I see," Hanna comments.

"Sorry," Rob apologises. "I just don't-"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"…what?"

Hanna sighs in amused frustration, then pulls Rob to her and kisses him passionately on the lips. "Well?" she purrs when the kiss breaks, holding Rob in a warm embrace.

"So… you fancy me too?" Rob asks.

"Why else would I kiss you?" Hanna flirts.

"You flirted with me again."

"Yup."

"Huh." Rob pauses a moment, then kisses Hanna again, this time for a full minute.

"Wow," Hanna breathes when the kiss finally breaks. "Why did it take us so long to do this?"

"Because we're young and stupid?" Rob quips. "Pity our friendship is no more," he sighs in jest.

"Friendship is so boring," Hanna retorts, smiling warmly. "If that kiss is anything to go by, what we have now is a _lot_ more exciting!"

"Agreed," Rob smiles back. "Just a shame our first night as a couple is going to be in a gaol cell," he adds, looking over Hanna's shoulder.

Hanna looks around them, cursing colourfully when she sees the police officers have returned and surrounded them.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Hanna and Rob stand before Leader Tracy Metharom in her sanctum, their explanation of their failure completed.

"You were on a very important mission!" the Leader barks angrily. "And you threw it all away because you couldn't keep your hands off each other! Am I right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hanna and Rob quietly chorus. "But-" Hanna continues.

"Not interested," Tracy snaps; Hanna falls silent instantly. "Thanks to your inability to control your hormones, you've set our plans back at least _three months!_ Do you have any idea how _costly_ that is? In fact, don't answer that. If you know what's good for you, you'll say nothing at all."

Hanna and Rob nod in acknowledgement. Slowly, they remove their scarves.

"What are you doing?" Tracy barks. "Stop being stupid and put them back on," she commands. Hanna and Rob retie their scarves in place.

For the next minute, Tracy says nothing, instead simply staring at the couple in front of her. "I have decided on your punishment," she eventually declares sternly. "I think you'll like its… _creativity_."

Hanna and Rob exchange nervous looks.

* * *

An hour later, Hanna and Rob are sitting together on Hanna's bed, using the headboard as a backrest. They are both wearing lockable transparent polycarbonate facemasks and cotton mittens with locking cuffs, for which Leader Metharom has the keys.

"This sucks," Hanna growls. "Three days' vacation where we can do whatever we want no questions asked, and we're forced to wear these… _things_ ," she continues.

"Preventing us from doing the one thing we want to do," Rob sighs. "She wasn't kidding about being creative…"

Hanna makes to respond, pausing when she hears a knock at the door. "Go away!" she barks.

"Aw, why do you have to be such a meanie?" a familiar voice outside pleads teasingly.

"You know the longer you leave it, the more she'll tease you," Rob remarks to Hanna.

"Fine," Hanna sighs. "Come in."

The door swings open, revealing a grinning Maria. She takes one look at both Hanna and Rob, and immediately bursts into laughter. "You guys look so _silly!_ " she gasps, struggling to breathe she's laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?" Danny asks, appearing behind Maria. "Oh, that's _hilarious!_ " he chuckles once he notices the facemasks and mittens. "Leader Metharom's got you good!"

"Did you both come here just to laugh at us?" Hanna snarls.

"No, not at all!" Danny replies. "Well, OK, a bit. And by that I mean a lot. But I also need Rob's advice on something."

"Sure, may as well," Rob sighs, sliding off the bed. "Lead on," he continues as he leaves the room, following Danny a short way down the corridor.

"So, you and Hanna, eh?" Danny asks once sure they're out of earshot. "And after I told you to forget about her too."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Rob sighs. "But I'm glad I finally made the move. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

"You sure you can handle her? You know how wild she can be."

"This is going to sound weird, but… I like her _because_ she's a loose cannon."

Danny shakes his head in amusement. "I'm not even going to _try_ to understand," he sighs. "But seriously, it's good all that tension's gone. Now we can go back to being a team."

* * *

Once the boys are out of earshot, Maria finally stops laughing. Wiping away the last tears of mirth, she regains her composure. "You finally made the move then," she smiles to Hanna.

"Yeah," Hanna sighs, her anger forgotten. "And I'm so glad I did."

"That's good," Maria replies, perching at the foot of the bed. "Just so long as we're still BFFs."

"BFFs?" Hanna asks, confused.

"Best friends forever!" Maria giggles.

"Oh! Of course we are," Hanna assures. "And we always will be."

"Yay!" Maria chimes. "So, what's it like?"

"I have to admit, I'd not thought about having a boyfriend before," Hanna confesses. "But now I have one, I can't imagine not having one, y'know?"

"Must be annoying not being able to kiss him though!" Maria teases.

"Tell me about it," Hanna sighs.


End file.
